Cornell University: "Jane Doe" accuses Kotlikoff of failure

She is said to have been drugged in October 2024 and subsequently raped for hours by several students at the elite university of Cornell in the US state of New York. Now the woman who makes these allegations has sharply attacked the university management in a letter. Her criticism in the letter to faculty leaders, from which the New York Times quotes, is directed against the institution’s president, Michael Kotlikoff.

According to the newspaper, the woman known under the pseudonym “Jane Doe” says that she wanted to share a second-hand report in the face of discussions of the university Senate about a possible vote of no confidence against Kotlikoff.

Subsequently, she describes events that a confidant from a meeting in January 2025 should have told her. There was actually a different topic, but the incident from October had been addressed. Representatives of several student women’s associations, Kotlikoff and at least one other person from the administration of the university were present, reports the New York Times, citing another source.

"Jane Doe" on a conversation with the president of her sisterhood

Kotlikoff’s “first reaction,” Jane Doe writes, “was something like this: ‘Why did she wait so long to report it?’” The attack is said to have occurred on the night of 19 to 20 October, on 8 October. In November, the alleged victim officially filed a complaint with the campus police.

Later, the president of her sisterhood described the exchange during the meeting, writes “Jane Doe”. She was concerned about the talks. “She interpreted his question as an expression of doubt as to the correctness of my story.”

"These accounts have diminished her confidence in the ability of school management to meet my experience with the understanding, sensitivity and fairness I had hoped and expected from my dream school," the former Cornell student said.

The university rejected the allegations on the “New York Times” request. The “representation from second hand” is incorrect. Kotlikoff had spoken on the subject, but did not refer to the action of “Jane Doe”.

"The question 'Why did it take so long for the assault to be reported?' was directed at bystanders who did not use Cornell University's anonymous alert line, despite the fact that the October 2024 incident continued to be reported on social media," the university said. Kotlikoff did not question the statement of "Jane Doe".

At the center of the case at Cornell University are the allegations of “Jane Doe” in October 2024 in the house of a compound of several men raped. The University of Cornell banned the connection after the allegations, but expelled only some of the participants of the college. There were no criminal consequences at first. After a new civil action, the case is now being re-investigated. The university’s Senate is also scheduled to meet on October 28 to discuss a possible vote of no confidence against Kotlikoff.

What happened on the night of the alleged gang rape at Cornell University? The statements of the student and the accused men strongly contradict each other, now a special prosecutor is investigating. The case divides America. Read on here.